The Asian Trade Revolution: The East India Companies and the Decline of the Caravan Trade 9780226771458

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Niels Steensgaard

The Asian Trade Revolution of the Seventeenth Century The East India Companies and the Decline of the Caravan Trade

The University of Chicago Press Chicago and London

The Asian Trade Revolution of the Seventeenth Century was originally published as Carracks, Caravans, and Companies, volume 17 in the Scandinavian Institute of Asian Studies Monograph Series, Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1973. NIELS STEENSGAARD is a professor of history at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. He is the author of several articles in the fields of European and Asian history. [1974]

T h e University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637 T h e University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London © 1973 Studentlitteratur, Niels Steensgaard. All rights reserved Published 1973. T h e University of Chicago Press edition 1974 Printed in the United States of America 78 77 76 75 74 987654321 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Steensgaard, Niels, 1932T h e Asian Trade Revolution of the Seventeenth Century Originally presented as the author's thesis, Copenhagen. Bibliography: p. 1. Commerce—History. 2. Europe—Commerce— Asia—History. 3. Asia—Commerce—Europe History. I. Title. HF495.S83 1975 382'.094'05 74-16397 ISBN 0-226-77138-5 ISBN 0-226-77139-3 (pbk.)

Contents Preface Introduction Part I The Fall of Hormuz, a Comparative Study Chapter I The Peddling Trade The Pedlars The Economy of the Peddling Trade The Peddling Market Chapter II The Redistributive Enterprizes "Publicans and Thieves" Persia The Ottoman Empire Estado da India The Redistributive Institutions and the Market .. The Redistributive Enterprizes Chapter HI The Companies The East India Company and the English Crown The East India Company in the International System The United East India Company and the Dutch Republic Power and Profit in the Policy of the United East India Company . The Companies and the Market The Companies as Institutional Innovation Chapter IV The Fall of Hormuz The Cape Route and the Caravan Routes around 1600 The Triumph of the Companies The Reversal on the Levant Markets The Fall of Hormuz Part II The Loss of Hormuz. People and Events Chapter V The Dream of a Great Alliance The Persian Initiative and Anthony Sherley The Christian Princes' Reply The Replies come in, War begins Seven Persian Ambassadors The Course of the War and the Crisis of Confidence 1607-08 Chapter VI Hormuz is the Question The Carmelite Mission 1608 Robert Sherley Anthony Sherley's Projects The Augustinian Mission 1608 Robert Sherley in Rome and Spain Janghiz Beg and Gouvea in Spain In Persia 1608-13 The Crisis of Confidence 1613-15, Gombroon's Fall Robert Sherley 1611-15 Chapter VII The Loss of Hormuz Sherley's Second Spanish Embassy 1617-22 Figueroa in Persia * British Beginnings The Loss of Hormuz

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7 9 12 22 22 31 42 60 60 68 74 81 95 Ill 114 114 120 126 131 141 151 154 155 169 175 193 209 211 212 225 230 237 244 253 254 258 262 266 270 283 286 291 297 305 305 312 323 331

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Part III After Hormuz Chapter VIII The Losers .. The Demolishment of a Town .. .. The Portuguese Attempt at Revenge The Portuguese without Hormuz Sherley's Last Journey Chapter IX The Attempt at Redirection of the Silk Trade The Companies and the Persian Silk Trade Silk Purchases in Persia How Much? Chapter X Instead of Hormuz The Rise of Bandar Abbas The Companies and the "Early Asian Trade" Conclusion Appendix, Currency and Weights Manuscript Sources Printed Sources and Modern Works Index Tables 1. Monox's estimate of the costs on the route Kazvin-Aleppo 1618 2. Dutch invoices for silk exported from Persia 1634/35-1636/37 3. Silk prices in Aleppo 1635-36 4. Pepper prices in Venice 1586-1590 5. Main items on the revenue budget of Estado da India 1584 and 1608-1607 6. Ports of origin of ships passing Bab-el Mandeb 1611, 1612 and 1 6 1 6 . . . . 7. Estimated and sales value of captaincies in Estado da India 1607 and 1615 8. Prices of pepper, indigo and cloves in Amsterdam 1624-26 9. Estimates of European consumption of Asian goods circa 1620 10. Known Portuguese return cargoes 1587-1609 11. Estimate of tonnage returned to Portugal from Asia 1571-1610 12. Estimate of European consumption of Asian goods around 1600 .. .. 13. Ships returned to European harbour from Asia 1581-1630 14. English re-export of Asian goods 1626-1627 15. Attendance at the meetings of the English nation in Aleppo 1616-1629 .. 16. Ships leaving Marseilles for Levantine ports 1614-18 17. Visnich's estimate of the annual arrivals to Hormuz before 1622 .. .. 18. Proceeds from sale of offices in Hormuz 1615 19. Company exports of silk from Persia 1618/19-1645/46, bales af approx. 100 kg 20. Metric equivalents of the most current units of weight Maps The Near East India and the Indian Ocean .. Diagram Pepper prices and ships returned from Asia i5»81-1630

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344 345 345 347 353 358 367 367 377 394 398 398 405 412 415 424 426 435 33 35 52 55 88 90 94 150 155 166 168 168 170 174 188 189 197 200 395 416 5 6 423

Part III After Hormuz Chapter VIII The Losers .. The Demolishment of a Town .. .. The Portuguese Attempt at Revenge The Portuguese without Hormuz Sherley's Last Journey Chapter IX The Attempt at Redirection of the Silk Trade The Companies and the Persian Silk Trade Silk Purchases in Persia How Much? Chapter X Instead of Hormuz The Rise of Bandar Abbas The Companies and the "Early Asian Trade" Conclusion Appendix, Currency and Weights Manuscript Sources Printed Sources and Modern Works Index Tables 1. Monox's estimate of the costs on the route Kazvin-Aleppo 1618 2. Dutch invoices for silk exported from Persia 1634/35-1636/37 3. Silk prices in Aleppo 1635-36 4. Pepper prices in Venice 1586-1590 5. Main items on the revenue budget of Estado da India 1584 and 1608-1607 6. Ports of origin of ships passing Bab-el Mandeb 1611, 1612 and 1 6 1 6 . . . . 7. Estimated and sales value of captaincies in Estado da India 1607 and 1615 8. Prices of pepper, indigo and cloves in Amsterdam 1624-26 9. Estimates of European consumption of Asian goods circa 1620 10. Known Portuguese return cargoes 1587-1609 11. Estimate of tonnage returned to Portugal from Asia 1571-1610 12. Estimate of European consumption of Asian goods around 1600 .. .. 13. Ships returned to European harbour from Asia 1581-1630 14. English re-export of Asian goods 1626-1627 15. Attendance at the meetings of the English nation in Aleppo 1616-1629 .. 16. Ships leaving Marseilles for Levantine ports 1614-18 17. Visnich's estimate of the annual arrivals to Hormuz before 1622 .. .. 18. Proceeds from sale of offices in Hormuz 1615 19. Company exports of silk from Persia 1618/19-1645/46, bales af approx. 100 kg 20. Metric equivalents of the most current units of weight Maps The Near East India and the Indian Ocean .. Diagram Pepper prices and ships returned from Asia i5»81-1630

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344 345 345 347 353 358 367 367 377 394 398 398 405 412 415 424 426 435 33 35 52 55 88 90 94 150 155 166 168 168 170 174 188 189 197 200 395 416 5 6 423

Part III After Hormuz Chapter VIII The Losers .. The Demolishment of a Town .. .. The Portuguese Attempt at Revenge The Portuguese without Hormuz Sherley's Last Journey Chapter IX The Attempt at Redirection of the Silk Trade The Companies and the Persian Silk Trade Silk Purchases in Persia How Much? Chapter X Instead of Hormuz The Rise of Bandar Abbas The Companies and the "Early Asian Trade" Conclusion Appendix, Currency and Weights Manuscript Sources Printed Sources and Modern Works Index Tables 1. Monox's estimate of the costs on the route Kazvin-Aleppo 1618 2. Dutch invoices for silk exported from Persia 1634/35-1636/37 3. Silk prices in Aleppo 1635-36 4. Pepper prices in Venice 1586-1590 5. Main items on the revenue budget of Estado da India 1584 and 1608-1607 6. Ports of origin of ships passing Bab-el Mandeb 1611, 1612 and 1 6 1 6 . . . . 7. Estimated and sales value of captaincies in Estado da India 1607 and 1615 8. Prices of pepper, indigo and cloves in Amsterdam 1624-26 9. Estimates of European consumption of Asian goods circa 1620 10. Known Portuguese return cargoes 1587-1609 11. Estimate of tonnage returned to Portugal from Asia 1571-1610 12. Estimate of European consumption of Asian goods around 1600 .. .. 13. Ships returned to European harbour from Asia 1581-1630 14. English re-export of Asian goods 1626-1627 15. Attendance at the meetings of the English nation in Aleppo 1616-1629 .. 16. Ships leaving Marseilles for Levantine ports 1614-18 17. Visnich's estimate of the annual arrivals to Hormuz before 1622 .. .. 18. Proceeds from sale of offices in Hormuz 1615 19. Company exports of silk from Persia 1618/19-1645/46, bales af approx. 100 kg 20. Metric equivalents of the most current units of weight Maps The Near East India and the Indian Ocean .. Diagram Pepper prices and ships returned from Asia i5»81-1630

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344 345 345 347 353 358 367 367 377 394 398 398 405 412 415 424 426 435 33 35 52 55 88 90 94 150 155 166 168 168 170 174 188 189 197 200 395 416 5 6 423

Part III After Hormuz Chapter VIII The Losers .. The Demolishment of a Town .. .. The Portuguese Attempt at Revenge The Portuguese without Hormuz Sherley's Last Journey Chapter IX The Attempt at Redirection of the Silk Trade The Companies and the Persian Silk Trade Silk Purchases in Persia How Much? Chapter X Instead of Hormuz The Rise of Bandar Abbas The Companies and the "Early Asian Trade" Conclusion Appendix, Currency and Weights Manuscript Sources Printed Sources and Modern Works Index Tables 1. Monox's estimate of the costs on the route Kazvin-Aleppo 1618 2. Dutch invoices for silk exported from Persia 1634/35-1636/37 3. Silk prices in Aleppo 1635-36 4. Pepper prices in Venice 1586-1590 5. Main items on the revenue budget of Estado da India 1584 and 1608-1607 6. Ports of origin of ships passing Bab-el Mandeb 1611, 1612 and 1 6 1 6 . . . . 7. Estimated and sales value of captaincies in Estado da India 1607 and 1615 8. Prices of pepper, indigo and cloves in Amsterdam 1624-26 9. Estimates of European consumption of Asian goods circa 1620 10. Known Portuguese return cargoes 1587-1609 11. Estimate of tonnage returned to Portugal from Asia 1571-1610 12. Estimate of European consumption of Asian goods around 1600 .. .. 13. Ships returned to European harbour from Asia 1581-1630 14. English re-export of Asian goods 1626-1627 15. Attendance at the meetings of the English nation in Aleppo 1616-1629 .. 16. Ships leaving Marseilles for Levantine ports 1614-18 17. Visnich's estimate of the annual arrivals to Hormuz before 1622 .. .. 18. Proceeds from sale of offices in Hormuz 1615 19. Company exports of silk from Persia 1618/19-1645/46, bales af approx. 100 kg 20. Metric equivalents of the most current units of weight Maps The Near East India and the Indian Ocean .. Diagram Pepper prices and ships returned from Asia i5»81-1630

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344 345 345 347 353 358 367 367 377 394 398 398 405 412 415 424 426 435 33 35 52 55 88 90 94 150 155 166 168 168 170 174 188 189 197 200 395 416 5 6 423

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